Many of you know that I write a weekly column for the Sunday newspaper (I would love for it to be in YOUR Sunday newspaper as well).

Recently, I wrote a fun article called, "It Is Easy To Be Broke". Here it is …

As I walk through bookstores or browse Amazon.com for new book titles, I realize that a lot of the offerings are how-to and self-help books.

There are titles such as “How To Build A House,” “How To Be Happy,” and “How To Be Physically Fit.” I am sure that these books are extremely helpful, and I have purchased several of them. They have been beneficial to me.

I was wondering recently how come no one has written a book titled “How To Be Fat.” There could be a chapter on eating at fast-food restaurants for three meals a day followed by a chapter focused on sitting on a couch eating lipids of various forms. It would be easy to write.

The same is true for finances. I have been thinking about writing the book “How To Be Broke.” I believe it could be a best-seller. I would write a chapter about how important it is to splurge and give in to impulse spending. Another chapter would focus on how not working really helps one be broke. The final chapter would direct the reader to say yes to every single demand from one’s children.

Sounds ridiculous, right? The reason no one has written these books is because it is easy to be fat. It is easy to be out of shape. It is easy to be broke. What is the common theme to every one of these issues? Lack of discipline.

Because I know you are interested in how to be broke, let me share some key tips.

Never have a plan for your money. Planning is difficult and takes time. Who has time for boring and distasteful things like budgeting when there are so many other things we can do?

Never ask for a deal. Always pay retail. It is difficult and uncomfortable to ask for a better deal. Plus it takes time to comparison shop.

Always purchase a new car with 100 percent financing (or more). That way you can not only watch the car drop in value like a rock, but you can also make monthly payments for the next four to seven years.

Do not go to work. Work is not fun, and it requires effort. It also takes a lot of time, and it has its share of frustrations. Who needs that?

If you want to be broke, do not carry health insurance. It is so expensive, and the doctors charge too much anyhow. Plus you have never been sick, so it would be a waste of money. Ignore the fact that more than half of the bankruptcies in America are a direct result of medical bills incurred without sufficient health insurance.